After much speculation and some pretty massive leaks, Sony’s new over-ear headphones, the Sony WH-1000XM5, have finally been officially unveiled.
Sony WH-1000XM5 key points in a row, according to the Japanese company:
- Industry-leading noise reduction with eight microphones and Auto NC Optimizer
- Exceptional sound quality and industry-leading call quality that adapts to your world
- Super comfortable to wear and listen all day with a new design and up to 30 hours of battery life
As the successor to the acclaimed WH-1000XM4, the XM5 features an updated, more minimalistic and stylish design, and unsurprisingly improvements over the already highly regarded XM4s. In particular…
“The best noise cancellation just got better”
It is even claimed that Sony’s XM5s offer an even better noise canceling experience, thanks to the dual processors driving eight microphones. Those help “dramatically reduce noise, especially in the mid-high frequency range”. Also worth noting is what Sony calls an automatic noise reduction (NC) optimizer, which tunes the NC based on the user’s environment.
Whether you’re trying to get your work done in a busy cafe or relaxing on a hectic morning drive, the WH-1000XM5 creates an immersive listening environment. Using the integrated processor V1, the WH-1000XM5 unlocks the full potential of Sony’s HD noise canceling processor QN1, while the specially designed 30mm driver unit enhances the noise cancellation. These features improve sound clarity and bass response, creating incomparable noise cancellation that lets you completely shut down the world around you.
Other Sony WH-1000XM5 Features
- High-Resolution Audio support for both wired and wireless playback
- DSEE Extreme, a feature that upscales lower quality digital music
- Voice Pickup technology and AI-based noise reduction for better voice isolation during calls
- Compatible with Google Assistant and Alexa, including voice wake up
- Fast Pair for quick pairing with Android, Swift Pair for easy pairing with Windows 10 and 11
- Up to 30 hours of battery life
Let’s get into that battery life in detail. Sony claims the WH-1000XM5 can achieve an impressive 30 hours of battery life, and charging the headphones for just 3 minutes can add up to 3 hours of additional playback time. Sony WH-1000XM4 review, these are the predecessors of these headphones, also capable of 30 hours of playback on a single charge, we could confirm that they last a long time. So we can expect the XM5 to also deliver on its promise of long, reliable battery life.
Sony WH-1000XM5 Official Price, Release Date, Colors
We now have the official release date for the Sony WH-1000XM5, which would be May 20, 2022. Unfortunately, the price for the XM5s has increased from the previous model, from $350 to $399.99 (or €420 if you’re in Europe).
In terms of color options, the Sony WH-1000XM5 will be available in two colors:
So there we have them – Sony’s newly announced over-ear headphones, which are very likely on our list of the best high-end wireless bluetooth headphones later this month.
Stay tuned for our WH-1000XM5 review in the coming weeks and let us know what you think in the comments!
